You’re In For A Real Feast For The Senses With These Popular Delicious Indian Traditional Food In Malaysia!

We Malaysians tend to be a confused bunch when it comes to individual cultural cuisines. That’s really not (entirely) our fault, since Malaysia naturally has an incredibly diverse food culture thanks to its status as a cultural melting pot

Take Indian food for example. We are famous worldwide for our mamak stalls - eateries run by Indian-Muslims that offer delicious Malaysian Indian food around the clock across neighbourhoods and districts in Malaysia.

But here’s where some of us get confused - did you know that the “Indian food” most of us are familiar with are actually predominantly south Indian inspired Malaysian Indian food? Dishes that we are used to like nasi kandar, a good old chewy roti canai, and even the classic teh tarik are not exactly traditional Indian food, but Malaysian Indian cuisine.

Traditional Indian food in Malaysia commonly varies between south Indian cuisine (with Chettinad cuisine being the most prevalent one) and north Indian cuisine. Each region comes with their range of cultural practices and religious beliefs, leading to a rainbow of dishes just waiting to be sampled.

For instance, we have the creamy and comforting dishes of Punjab in north-east India, tangy yet spicy and pungent Chettinad dishes of south India, and meat-heavy and spice-laden Kashmiri cuisine, to name a few.

So get your bellies ready because we’re going walk you through the most popular Indian traditional food in Malaysia. You can even try your hand at recreating these interesting dishes at home with Cosmic Cookware’s beautifully crafted cookware for an easier time in the kitchen, and serve in style after!

13 Popular Traditional Indian Food In Malaysia That Delivers More Than The Spice Of Life To Your Taste Buds

1. Pani Puri

If there’s one texture a lot of us simply can’t get enough of, it’s definitely a good crunch. Which is why pani puri is a hugely popular traditional Indian savoury snack. 

Pani puri is a crispy, hollow round shell (pani) filled with spicy and tangy flavoured water (puri) and a variety of fillings that include diced boiled potatoes, chickpeas, mint, coriander, and chaat masala. This quirky dish is made by deep frying small, round discs of dough until they puff up into hollow shells, then filling it with the abovementioned fillings.

One can pop an entire pani puri into their mouth for a satisfying crunch right before experiencing a burst of spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet juice. It’s a medley of textures and an explosion of flavours, so much so that one is almost never enough. And that’s why they commonly come in a set!

2. Chicken 65

Chicken 65 is a spicy, deep-fried chicken dish originating from Chennai in southern India that features the bold flavours of garlic, ginger, and chillies. Think of your average Malaysian’s favourite popcorn chicken dish - this is basically the Indian equivalent, only bolder in flavour.

But why “65”? It’s said that the name of this dish was developed in 1965 for Indian soldiers, leading to its moniker of “Chicken 65”. But some also say that this dish contains 65 variants of chilli peppers which is the reason behind its flavourful nature. Even so, one thing is for sure - this dish is incredibly popular to munch on together with banana leaf rice!

Some traditional Indian restaurants in Malaysia opt to deep-fry it without the abundance of chilli peppers for less spicy results, switching it out in favour of turmeric, red chilli powder, green chillies, curry leaves, and the typical mix of ground spices like ground cumin, coriander, and garam masala. But authentic Chicken 65 is a bold, spicy dish that you’ll definitely want to try at least once with a side of raita (yoghurt dip)!

3. Korma (Coconut Milk & Yoghurt-Based Curry)

Rich, creamy, and mildly spiced, Korma is a smooth and thick gravy dish that is commonly cooked with chicken, lamb, mutton, or vegetarian with paneer or vegetables. It has a luxuriously rich texture thanks to the use of yoghurt, coconut milk, and ground nuts, giving it a mild flavour that balances between sweet and savoury.

Korma’s commonly used ingredients include ghee, yoghurt, coconut milk or cream, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ground coriander, and almonds or cashews which are ground into a paste. This combination of ingredients makes it not as spicy as many other Indian curries, which is why korma is often used as an “entry level” curry dish for individuals who aren’t used to spicy foods.

Lastly, did you know that this creamy dish has its roots in the Mughal cuisine of north India and it was said to be a particular favourite of the region’s royalty? So the next time you decide to give korma a try, you’re literally enjoying a beloved dish of the Indian royal courts!

4. Bhindi Masala

You will commonly find bhindi masala in most Indian restaurants no matter their focus, be it southern Indian or northern Indian cuisine. Bhindi masala is a dry, spiced stir-fried dish with okra (lady’s fingers) as its star ingredient.

The okra is stir-fried with sliced onions, tomatoes, shredded ginger, garlic, and a medley of aromatic spices such as cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, and red chilli powder, resulting in a flavourful vegetarian dish that is earthy, mildly spicy, and tangy with a hint of sweetness. 

Bhindi masala is also highly favoured because of its soft texture, making it a fantastic accompaniment to rice and Indian breads like roti, chapati, or roti canai. Some even enjoy it paired with parboiled rice, sambar, and a protein dish for a complete meal.

5. Saag

Saag may sound like a new dish, but I reckon some of us may be familiar with this dish’s cousin; palak paneer. Saag actually refers to a dish made from leafy greens like spinach, mustard greens, and many other greens which are finely chopped or pureed into a creamy curry.

It commonly serves as a base for various Indian dishes like palak paneer where paneer (cottage cheese) is added into saag to create palak paneer, and palak gosht where mutton is added into saag to create a protein-rich vegetable dish.

The usual suspects that go into making saag include an assortment of greens, namely spinach, mustard greens, fenugreek, radish greens. Then you have spices such as garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and garam masala, and lastly, ghee. The addition of ghee tempers the added spices while enhancing the overall flavour of saag.

This popular north Indian dish from Punjab is best enjoyed with freshly cooked basmati rice and plain naan to allow saag’s flavours to shine.

6. Tandoori Chicken

Ask anyone in Malaysia and they’ll be able to recognise tandoori chicken from a mile away. Tandoori chicken originates from the Punjab region of north India and is one of Malaysia’s most popular traditional Indian dishes thanks to its tender, juicy meat and succulently smokey flavour.

Tandoori chicken is made by marinating chicken for several hours or overnight in a mixture of yoghurt and tandoori masala, which is a specific mixture of coriander, garlic powder, fenugreek, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cumin, onion powder, and cloves. The marinated chicken is then cooked in a tandoor (clay oven) and roasted over high heat.

This gives us a nice, smokey and slightly charred flavour while the meat stays juicy and incredibly flavourful. One of the most common pairings for tandoori chicken include naan and biryani rice.

7. Idli

It does feel like almost every Asian country has some form of rice cake dish, doesn’t it? Idli is a soft, steamed rice cake made from fermented rice batter, giving it a mildly tangy taste. Its texture is light and fluffy, making it one of the more popular traditional Indian foods to enjoy for breakfast.

Idli is said to have originated from the southern regions of India, in particular Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. How it’s made involves fermenting rice with lentils in water before grinding them into a smooth batter that is left to ferment overnight. The fermented batter is then poured into idli moulds and steamed until they become the light and fluffy pillows we all know and love.

It’s best enjoyed with coconut chutney, tomato chutney, or sambar. Some of us Malaysians even enjoy it with toasted shredded coconut as a sweet snack!

8. Aloo Gobi

Aloo gobi is a comforting dry vegetarian dish made from potatoes (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi). Its texture and warm flavours – thanks to the combination of spices used – makes aloo gobi one of the more flavourful comfort foods when it comes to traditional Indian cuisine.

Think cubed potatoes, small florets of cauliflower, and an assortment of spices such as cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, and onion powder sauteed with onions, ginger, and spices until it softens. The cooking techniques used to cook aloo gobi makes it soft on the inside with a light crisp on the outside.

While some recommend enjoying this northern Indian dish with naan, roti, or paratha, one of the best ways to enjoy it is to have it with rice and dhal curry as a complete meal.

9. Vindaloo

Those looking for a dish with a real spicy kick will love a good bowl of vindaloo. Vindaloo is a spicy, tangy curry that originated from Goa, India on the influence of Portuguese cuisine. It’s renowned for its bold flavours, spiciness, and its tangy kick from the vinegar used to cook it. This gives vindaloo a few levels of complexity in its flavour profile that makes it a fiery yet flavourful dish.

Vindaloo is made by marinating a protein such as chicken or lamb in a complex spice blend of turmeric, cinnamon, ground cloves, yellow mustard seeds, Kashmiri chilli powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Then vinegar is added in to form the marinade which has the consistency of a thick paste. 

Once it’s been fully marinated overnight, the marinated meat is then stir-fried with garlic, ginger, onions, and fresh chillies (sometimes dried chillies for extra spiciness), before it is slow cooked to bring out the full flavours of the dish. While making vindaloo looks like it requires extra effort, it’s almost always worth the steps taken when enjoyed with freshly steamed basmati rice. ;)

10. Dosa (Tosai)

Dosa is a thin and crispy savoury pancake which is made by pan-frying a batter made out of fermented rice and lentils on a wide cast iron griddle laden with ghee. This mild and slightly tangy crepe originates from south India, where it is commonly enjoyed as a breakfast dish accompanied by coconut chutney, tomato chutney, or sambar.

Its texture is thin and crispy with a slightly soft interior, making it light yet filling thanks to its typically generous size. There is also a spiced version that is more filling called masala dosa. This particular dosa is stuffed with a spiced potato filling that serves as a complete meal thanks to its starchy filling.

That said, there are countless varieties of dosa in Malaysia. Some of these include the popular rava dosa, which is an even crispier form of dosa because it is made using semolina.

11. Biryani

Biryani is such a popular rice dish in Malaysian cuisine that some automatically assume that it is a part of traditional local Malaysian food. But did you know that biryani actually has Persian roots and was brought to India by the Mughals? 

The biryani we often enjoy in Malaysia’s Indian restaurants are actually often made using the Hyderabadi region’s style of making biryani. But in any case, biryani is a fragrant layered rice dish that is made by cooking basmati rice in a mixture of aromatic spices and a type of meat or vegetables.

This gets you fluffy rice, tender meat, and ultimately a dish with a rich, complex flavour profile. Think multiple layers of aromatic spices such as saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, coriander seeds, bay leaves, nutmeg, star anise, mace, and more.

Biryani is typically served as a main dish along with a side of raita (pickled vegetables in yoghurt), a boiled egg, and a type of spicy pickle.

12. Butter Chicken

Ah, a dish loved by most Malaysians, the humble butter chicken. Also known as murgh makhani, butter chicken is a beloved rich and creamy chicken curry dish made with marinated chicken cooked in a mildly spiced tomato gravy.

It has a delightfully smooth, velvety texture with a mildly sweet and tangy but also slightly smokey flavour profile, which are all balanced with the addition of butter and cream. Butter chicken is hugely popular worldwide because it isn’t spicy, yet packs a whole load of flavour.

The chicken in butter chicken is typically marinated in yoghurt, then cooked in a tandoor. After that it’s cooked together in a casserole of tomato gravy made with pureed tomatoes, butter, and cream, with spices such as garam masala, cumin, red chilli powder, ginger, and garlic added into the mix.

This popular dish is almost always enjoyed with naan, roti, or biryani rice. Some locals even enjoy it with plain parboiled rice or pulao (long grain rice made with fewer spices than biryani).

13. Banana Leaf Rice

What started as a traditional south Indian meal served on a banana leaf is now one of Malaysia’s most beloved lunch rituals, the humble banana leaf rice meal. It’s a complete meal that consists of steamed rice accompanied by a variety of curries, vegetables, pickles, and papadum.

Malaysians enjoy flooding their banana leaf rice meal with a multitude of curries which not only softens the rice, but also gives it several layers of flavour that truly delight the senses. Topped with crushed papadum over the rice and you have the Malaysian way of enjoying banana leaf rice.

Having said that, this southern Indian dish still stays true to its roots in Malaysia with flavours ranging from spicy to tangy and mildly sweet, depending on which sides you’ve opted for. The components almost always consist of rice, curries such as sambar, a mild chicken curry, a tangy fish curry, or a heartier mutton curry. Vegetables such as bhindi masala, pickles, spiced potatoes, beans, and sauteed cabbage are also the usual suspects. And these are all finished with a cup of rasam to cleanse the palate.